nutrition

Setting Up Your Kitchen for Meal Prep Success

Hey Angels and Alphas,

When it comes to weight loss, one of the best things you can do to enhance your results and make your diet all the more sustainable is to have a supportive kitchen environment. Your kitchen should be your partner in healthy eating, and give you a space that ultimately supports your goals.

Learning how to get a delicious and nutritious meal on the table as soon as possible is a great skill to have, though it requires two basic things: (1) the right mindset and (2) an organized, well-stocked kitchen. 

Today, we’ve compiled some of the best tips you can start using to optimize your cooking space and skyrocket your confidence in the kitchen!

FIRST OF ALL, MINDSET MATTERS

When it comes to creating a healthy lifestyle, your mindset will make or break you. In some cases, just the fact that your kitchen is messy (coupled with an out-of-control mindset) will actually make you more vulnerable to a lot of unhealthy food choices. 

This is why things like how you feel in your own kitchen are so important, just like it’s important to create a positive mindset about healthy eating. Here’s how you can make your kitchen a more comfortable, productive environment: 

Pre-clean everything. Before you start to cook, make sure everything is clean. Wash all the dishes, take out the trash, clear off the table and the countertops, and only then start working your magic.

Set your mood. As you are prepping for dinner, turn on some music, take a few deep breaths, and make the conscious effort to relax and enjoy the experience.

Think ahead. Keep all your healthiest snacks in plain sight instead of shoving them around the countertops. Store all your snacks, treats, and chips in a drawer or a cabinet where they’re not so easily accessible.

Organize your fridge. Store healthy leftovers and snacks in transparent containers in the very front of your fridge so you get to see them easily when you’re in a rush for a meal.

Snack correctly. Make your own grab-and-go snacks, including salmon jerky, trail mix, or bags of popcorn. Stock your fridge with hard-boiled eggs, hummus, or chia pudding, as well as other homemade energy snacks.

Keep a food diary. Record inspirational quotes, track progress and record new recipes and reminders in a food diary. This diary will also give you accurate insights into different eating patterns you have, and it’s a great thing to have handy somewhere in your kitchen.

Organize and remove all the clutter from your kitchen.

If your kitchen is organized, you’ll be creating healthy meals much more quickly and more productively. From the utensil drawer all the way to the spice rack, the more organization and decluttering you can do, the better. Here are a few ideas you can use to get started:

Out of sight, out of mind – when it comes to your appliances, get strategic. If you want to make more meals in your crockpot or use that air-fryer more often, make some space for it, so it’s not a chore to get it out and use it.

Mind your oils – check the expiration dates of all your cooking oils. Chances are, some of them might be expired. And make sure to replace your highly processed veggie oils with olive oil or avocado oil.

Take inventory – organize and repurpose all your duplicate utensils and the items you have in your kitchen. Do the same with all your cookware. Also, you can take note of what you need and what you don’t already have.  

Store similar things together – you’ll always know what you have on hand. Store all your measuring spoons in a mug where you can easily reach for them. Stock all your baking equipment together. All your smoothie fixings in one basket near your blender. You get the idea.

Organize your spices – remove any duplicates and stack your delicious spices by how often you use them. Separate all your spices, herbs, and oils that you use regularly and keep your favorites near your countertop for easy access when cooking.

The bottom line is…

If you want to get healthy, you have to think about more than just food. It’s also about how you feel in your own environment. 

That’s why taking the time to organize and restock your kitchen will be one of the first and most important steps you can take toward creating cooking and nutrition habits that actually stick. Use these strategies, apply a bit of patience, and you’ll be able to transform your relationship with food in a way you never thought possible.

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